Early 1800s

Col. Thomas W. Swinney's Saddlebag

Thomas Swinney arrived in Fort Wayne in 1823 from Pikeville, Ohio. A farmer, speculator, and entrepreneur, Swinney's property at the end of Washington Boulevard was the original location for the Allen County Fair in 1874. Over 2,000 visitors enjoyed the large pavilions, livestock barns, and horse races at the fairgrounds that would eventually be known as Swinney Park. His home, today known as the Swinney Homestead, was the original home of the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society from 1926 to 1980. These leather saddlebags belonged to Col. Thomas W. Swinney. His initials "T. W. S." are stitched on the bottom of each bag.